San Francisco in the summer isn’t all about sun, sand, and surf. Instead, it’s all about that wall of fog being held back by Twin Peaks and the microclimates of the city’s 36 neighborhoods. Dressing for the weather is nigh on impossible, but one surefire way to try to be prepared for the warmth of the Mission, the cool of the Sunset, or the wind tunnel conditions of Financial District is to don a decent long sleeve shirt. That’s why you need to know about The Braddock from William Gray.

Loosely based on, or at least inspired by chambray work shirts of yore, William Gray has reinterpreted the shirt that put the blue in blue collar and elevated it to something a bit more akin to the board room rather than the boiler room. The Braddock is a fine, medium-blue chambray shirt that mixes the old with the new, the casual with the not so casual. It features a slightly trim fit (though an actual slim fit is available), single-needle tailoring throughout, point collar with removable stays, two softly rounded patch pockets with button closures, and a seven-button conventional placket. This shirt is handmade in Fall River, Massachusetts by a dedicated team of craftspeople using vintage sewing machines. Awesome.

This is the kind of shirt that can be dressed up or down. Button it up and tuck it into some navy blue wool trousers when you need to dress to impress, or leave it open and wear it over a heather gray tee shirt with some jeans or chinos for a casual night out. You can do no wrong with a shirt as handsome and iconic as The Braddock.

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Kenneth is an editorial expert with 20+ years of writing and publishing experience. As well as being an author of five books of poetry, he has published over 700 articles encompassing pop culture & events, product tests & reviews, as well as in-depth and insightful style analysis. From food & fun, to rock-n-roll & the arts, to all things that make life more worth living, Kenneth has and will continue to cover it.